T H E Q U A R T E R L Y - - - - - - - - - - - - Published by t h e St. Lawrence County His tor ica l Association

Editor - Atwood Manley, Canton, N. Y e Associate Editors - Nina Smithers, Fe t t e L. Elayhew, and Charles Lahey

~ - - -

Vole 111, Number 3 - Canton IT P --s. ' . , . . -- July 1958

"ME? OF THE MILLIONS" Tributes Paid Great North Country Stateman

The State , t he His tor ica l Association, and t h e North Country paid a f i t t i n g t r i b u t e t o a great statesman, S i l a s Wright, on t h e anniversary of h i s birthday, May 24th. The w e i l i n g of a new S i l a s Wright h i s t o r i c marker i n f ron t of the Governor's house on East Main S t r ee t i n Canton was by Mrs. Virgie Be Simons, chairman of t he Histor ic S i t e s connittee of our Association. This climaxed day-long a c t i v i t i e s connected with t he event. The program began with a tour of h i s t o r i c s i t e s especially associated with Governor Wright. The tour included t h e Grasse River, where Wright took President Martin VanBuren f i sh ing when he v i s i t ed Canton and the campus of t h e New York S ta t e University Agricultural and Technical Inst i tute . Wigh t worked on a speech advocating agr icu l tura l education for a meeting of t h e Hew York State Agricultural S o c i e t x t h e night b6fore lie d i e d n Bug. 27, 1847. The-tour was followed by a luncheon at the Tick-Tock res taurant attended by fifty-two. A pageant i n t h e v i l l age park depicting scenes

S i l a s Wright, Jr. from the life of Governor and Mrs. Wright began the a f t e r noon festivities.

Following were speeches i n t he Presbyterian Church by Bligh A. Dodds of Gower- new, Collector of Customs f o r t he Port of Ogdensburg, who spoke on nSi las Wright i n Wa~h ing ton ,~ and Senator Robert C. McEwen of Ogdensburg, who spoke on 'Silas Wright i n AlbanyN. Then came the unveiling ceremony. There was a tour of t h e S i l a s Wright home, now owned by The Universalists, and a s i l v e r t e a was held i n t h e Josephine Paige room of Benton l ibrary. An o i l po r t r a i t of Wright, the property of t he County, a poster l i s t i n g the off ices he held were i n the window of t h e Canton Light and Power Company.

An exhibi t of l e t t e r s , furni ture , documents and other Wright memorabilia had been arranged i n t he Paige Room. Included were f i v e letters from Wright t o Judge John Fine, St. Iavrence county judge. In one of t he l e t t e r s , Wright t e l l s Judge Fine t h a t h i s letter concerning t h e prisoners taken i n t he Battle of t he Vindmill at Frescott , Ont., during the Pa t r io t ' s W a r , had been turned over confident ia l ly b President VanBuren.

Another and the more important of t h e l e t t e r s , dated May 23, 184, i n s t r u c t s Judge Fine, a delegate t o t h e coming Democratic convention i n Baltimore t h a t Wright's name is not t o be considered f o r t h e presidency d e r a q circumstances. A t t h e convention, Wright was offered the vice-presidential nomination as the running mah of James Knox Polk of Tennessee. Wight declined the nomination, which was given t o George Me Dallas of Pennsylvania, who was elected.

The New York delegation, as Wright desired, supported former President VanBuren for renomination at the convention, but VanBuren, although he had t h e pledged support of a majority of t he delegates, could not obtain t he two-thirds required, r e su l t i ng

i n Polk's dark-horse victory, A complete s e t of t h e United S ta tes Customs stamps bearing ?Jrightls p o r t r a i t

was displayed. Wright, a leader i n the e f fo r t t o secure postage stamps during h i s years i n t he United S ta t e s Senate f1833-184.4), was one of only th ree persons whose p o r t r a i t is on a complete set of stamps, The other two a r e George Washington and Benjamin Franklin,

Mrs. Betty Jane Best Smith of Old DeKalb made a birthday cake f o r .the s i l v e r tea, a s t he celebration was held on Wright's 163rd birthday.

The program, an excellent one, was arranged by a committee consist ing of &s. Bette L. Mayhew, Canton town his tor ian, chairman; Mrs. Nina W. Smithers, DePeyster, County Historian; and Yalcolm A. Booth, Hammond, secretary of t he Association,

SILAS WRIGHT I N WASHmGTOIJ Address By Rligh A. Dodds

h hi^ i s the only manuscript of the two speeches delivered on S i l a s Wright Day which is available, Senator McEwen having no prepared paper.)

I am honored and complimented t o have t h e pr ivi lege of ta lking t o you t h i s afternoon on the subject of so fascinat ing and distinguished an American a s S i l a s Wright whom we a re honoring here today. L i t t l e did I r ea l i ze the extent of h i s achievements nor the influence t h a t he wielded i n t he moulding of our America i n t he quar ter century between 1823 and 1847. It was through t h a t s t i r r i n g period t h a t he brought t o himself and t o h i s home town and county a multitude of nat ional honors. Beginning wi th h i s services i n many important l oca l o f f ices such a s Surrogate, Jus t ice of t h e Peace, Commissioner of Deeds, Postmaster, Inspector of Highways and Public Schools and Town Clerk, he moved next t o the S ta te Senate, then a s Representative t o Congress. This was soon followed by h i s e lect ion t o S t a t e Comptroller and f i n a l l y t o t he United S ta tes Senate.

-Al- hirTWWwm-nst; s p m t l n a sphere requiring t h e display of mi l i t a ry capacity or physical daring, it was spent i n t h e servlce of h i s country i n a way t h a t required t a l en t of the highest order and far more of those nobler q u a l i t i e s which exault and dignify t he human character -- moral courage and integr i ty . The evidence i s c lear t h a t he never once sought any public off ice , nor i s there any evidence t o show t h a t he ever used the influence of h i s powerful f r iecds t o secure any o f f i ce a t any time. With each new job he gained more and more the confidence of t h e people. It i s not surprising t h a t when a company of m i l i t i a was ra ised i n 1821 he was made i t s Captain, t h a t he was ra i sed t o the rank of Yajor i n t he same year, t o t he rank of Colonel four years l a t e r and t o Brigadier General i n 1827, a posit ion which he relinquished one year afterwards. But t he narrow limits of any town o r county were scarcely calculated t o provide a sa t i s fac tory ou t l e t f o r t he eminent q u a l i t i e s of S i l a s Wright and h i s friends desired t o see them tes ted i n a broader f i e ld ,

Regarding h i s p o l i t i c a l party a f f i l i a t i o n , there a r e many confl ic t ing refer- ences i n t he several biographies, ye t from authori ta t ive sources, including t h e Watertown Times, it has been well established t h a t from t h e time h i s name was first presented i n t he f a l l of 1823 a s t h e candidate for S ta te Senator of the 4th D i s t r i c t , u n t i l he became Governor i n 184.4, he was a Democrat a l l t he way. He was a hard- headed, honest, p r ac t i ca l machine pol i t ic ian. &. Wright joined the Fucktails , a f ac t iona l group of Jeffersonian Democrats led by Martin VanBuren. They were opposed t o DeWitt Clinton and h i s po l ic ies toward canals and banks, They became ident i f ied wi th t h e Albany Regency, a small poup of able men who guided New York S ta t e politics f o r a decade i n the 1820's and 30's. The Bucktails believed i n what they cal led llDemocracy.ll They had t h e support of t h e small farmers and frontiersmen whose i n s t i n c t s they t rus ted and whose i n t e r e s t s they were wil l ing t o forward, To these po l ic ies m i g h t was f u l l y committed, but he always ins i s ted t h a t he must remain independent of specific pledges and promises a s a l eg i s l a to r and t h a t i f elected t o

public office he must choose the s ide he would take on any par t icu la r issue on the bas i s of h i s personal judgment and not on the bas i s of any commitments. Ye was a f i r m believer i n the democratic process. Yet he regarded democracy a t i t s bes t d e n leadership was firmly established i n a small coter ie of men elected t o public off ice who were close f r iends and who were dedicated t o t he pr inciples of freedom. He r e l i e d upon the many t o e l ec t and the few t o govern. A s a par ty man he believed i n the spo i l s system. What i s more natural he ins i s ted t h a t a man should know who h i s f r iends are, what they a r e capable of doing, and t h a t he should place them i n public office. The spo i l s system, however, i n h i s judgment should not include appointment of judges. The judiciary he believed should be elected.

To digress f o r a moment from h i s p o l i t i c a l experiences, I w i l l dwell b r i e f ly on h i s ear ly a c t i v i t i e s both before and a f t e r a r r i v a l a t Canton. He attended Middlebury College, got h i s t ra in ing i n law a t Sandy H i l l i n Washington County and was admitted t o the bar i n January 1819. In the summer of t h a t year he came t o Canton following an urge t o tour on horseback t h e hrew York f ron t ie r . Canton was then about 1500. F i r s t and most l a s t i ng among h i s new acquaintances was Captain Medad Moody, inn-keeper, an old f r iend of h i s father. The Moodys made him welcome and urged him t o s e t t l e i n t h e i r community. The nearest lawyer was t en miles away. Captain Moody even offered t o build him a house i f he would stay. Although there i s no evidence t o prove it, Clarissa, Moody's 15 year old daughter, was probably t h e most important of a l l t h e f ac to r s involved i n the decision. There was some conf l ic t i n t he young lawyer's mind. For a while he considered Ogdensburg, then t h e County sea t , but t h e combination of forces a t Canton was stronger. Moody did build him a house - a two-room a f f a i r - one f o r sleeping and one f o r h i s o f f ice - and after a short v i s i t with h i s parents i n Weybridge, Vt . where he acquired some bedding from h i s mother and $200 from h i s fa ther , he returned t o Canton t o start on a career t h a t was t o lead him t o the heights i n t h e s t a t e and nation and earn f o r him a monumental record of achievement i n behalf of h i s countrymen - a record t o endure through the endless passage of t he years.

Throughout \is career a s a lawyer, he held firm t o one pr inciple , t h a t jus t ice must be done i n t he courts and t h a t even i f it should be necessary t o expose t h e character of t he c l i e n t whom he was defending i n order t o obtain a jus t verdict , he would do it. That he acted upon h i s conviction is shown i n a c i v i l case when he exposed the scoundrelly characters of t he opponents. Wright's own clierrt, t h e defendant, won. On the way out of t h e court room t h e c l i e n t sa id t o Wright, nI didn ' t h i r e you t o rake my character and I don't thank you f o r doing iton Wright's reply was charac te r i s t ic of him, "You hired me t o defend you and win," he said "and if I had pa l l ia ted your s ide i n t h e l e a s t you would have l o s t and l e t me add, I hope you w i l l so improve your conduct t h a t you w i l l never again be subjected t o t he same embarrassment." It is not recorded whether t he c l i e n t took the advice but it i l l u s t r a t e s S i l a s Wright's character.

To speak of h i s record i n S t a t e service would be t o invade t h e assignment of my good fr iend Senator McEwen so I w i l l proceed t o r e l a t e t he experiences and achievements of Mr. Wright i n t he Congress of t h e United S ta t e s i n t o which he entered i n 1827. The great a b i l i t y with which he had f i l l e d the of f ice of S t a t e Senator had led t o h i s nomination i n 1826 a s one of the representatives i n Congress from t h e then double d i s t r i c t composed of the counties of Jefferson, Lewis, Oswego, and St. Lawrence. It is in te res t ing t o note t h a t with t h e exception of Franklin these same counties comprise t he present 34th Congressional Dis t r ic t , now ably represented by Clarence E. Kilburn of Malone.

Mr. Wright's term of off ice i n t h a t 20th Congress commenced March 4, 1827. When S i l a s b i g h t took h i s sea t i n December of t h a t year, it was inevi table t h a t some kind of tariff b i l l would be considered. John Quincy Adams was President and Wilas Wright's staunch fr iend Martin VanBuren was i n t he United.States Senate. The movement leading t o the tariff of 1828 began largely i n agr icu l tura l areas. Foreign markets, which had been so important t o American prosperity, disappeared a f t e r t h e panic and depression of 1819. In 1824 a new tariff b i l l was passed which ra ised the du t i e s on a var ie ty of imported a r t i c l e s . S t i l l many manufacturers and

ag r i cu l tu ra l producers were not s a t i s f i ed and demanded fur ther protection. Although he was a freshman Congressman, Wright was given a place on the Committee on Manu- facures, t o which was entrusted the task of drawing up the new schedules. Rol l in C. Mallary of Vermont was the chairman of t h e committee, which included a l so James S. Stevenson of Pennsylvania, Lewis Condit of New Jersey, Thomas P, Moore of Kentucky, W i l l i a m Stanberry of Ohio, and W i l l i a m D. Martin of South Carolina.

After a few meetings of t he committee, Chairman Mallary arose i n t he House, on December 31, 1827, and asked f o r t he unprecedented r igh t t o "send f o r persons and paper^,^ t h a t is, t o subpoena witnesses and hold hearings before draf t ing the b i l l . A l l ve ly debate followed, with t he main defense of t he resolut ion f a l l i n g on Wright, as the leader of t he committee majority which favored it, After much discussion, t he necessary powers were voted; summonses were mailed t o manufacturers of woolens, iron, hemp, flax, glass, cotton goods, and rum, and +,he committee proceeded t o take evidence. Twenty-eight witnesses were questioned. Stenographers were not then employed by committees, and the evidence was taken down by Wright, with h i s own hand. He drew up the report , presented by the chairman, and the b i l l which accom- panied it.

The b i l l conformed, t o a great extent, t o t he Few York platform. k i n g t h e debate, Wright gave h i s views i n a speech which no one answered. The b i l l passed the House i n s p i t e of t h e opposition of t he South and 23 of t h e 39 New England Representatives. In the Senate, increases were made i n the woolens du t ies t o make it more acceptable t o N e w England, and the House accepted the change. There was l i t t l e opposition t o t h e "Tariff of Abminations" outside the South, and t h e follow- i n g December a resolut ion f o r i t s repeal was re jected i n t he House of Representatives. Aside from the t a r i f f , l i t t l e occurred during the f i r s t session of t he Twentieth Congress t h a t was of importance. Wright car r ied on the crusade against public a id i n the construction of canals, but was a f irm supporter of federa l development of harbor f a c i l i t i e s , I n 1828 Wright was re-elected by a handsome majority. M n g t o mistakes i n t he returns, a c e r t i f i c a t e of e lec t ion was issued t o George Fisher, who took h i s seat i n t h e House. The committee t o which t h e dispute was refer red reported I n favor omght who did not take h i s s ea t but immediately resigned t o become comptroller of N e w York, I n January 1833 he resigned the comptrollership t o f i l l t he vacancy caused by t h e resignation of United S ta tes Senator Willian L. Marcy, who had been elected governor. Ye was re-elected i n 1837 and 1843 and re- signed i n 181111. t o enter t he contest f o r t he governorship of Mew York.

Only thirty-seven years old when he took h i s sea t , he was the youngest man i n t h e Senate, but h i s importance as t h e unoff ic ia l representative of the new Vice- President was considerable. He was appointed successively t o the conrmittees on agr icul ture , commerce, finance, and post off ices and post roads, and came t o hold a high rank "for so l id judgment and unselfish service. He voted f o r t h e nForce B i l l n and the compromise tariff of 1833. VanBuren consulted him before answering Jackson with regard t o t he removal of federa l deposits from t h e Bank of t he United States , and entrusted him with t he presentation of resolut ions favoring removal,

Following VanBuren's e lect ion t o the Presidency i n 1835 Wigh t became chair- man of t he Senate finance committee. He opposed a l l measures f o r rechartering the Bank of t he United States. He urged t h e complete divorce of federa l finance from the banks and s t r i c t e r regulation of banking by the s ta tes . H e introduced a b i l l fo r t he establishment of an independent t reasury system and continued t o f i g h t f o r it u n t i l t h e b i l l was passed i n 184.0. During h i s career i n Congress, h i s ideas on the tariff underwent a gradual modification. In 1828 he was a frank protectionist . In 1833 he supported t h e compromise tariff, but i n t h a t case he was thinking i n terms of conci l ia t ing t h e South rather than of f r e e trade. By 18Q he had re jec ted the pr inciple of protection. Speaking i n t h e Senate i n August of t h a t year he cane out c lear ly f o r a revenue tariff, with Itnot a cent of duty f o r protection i t se l f . " Seeing no chance t h a t any other revenue b i l l would be passed, he re luc tan t ly voted f o r the high-tariff a c t of 1842. I n giving h i s reasons for h i s vote, he reca l led t h a t he had taken a leading pa r t i n t h e enactment of t he tariff of 1828, and char- acter ized h i s act ion a s a great error , made through lack of understanding of t he subject.

The statesmen among whom S i l a s Wright took a place i n t h e Senate during t h a t colorful period and against and with whom he was obliged t o compete f o r t h e br i l - l i a n t honors which he acquired i n h i s Senator ia l career included many of t he great- e s t leaders of t h a t day. There were the gal lant and captivating Clay, renouned fo r t he magic burs ts of h i s t h r i l l i n g eloquence; Calhoun, t he f ea r l e s s champion of t he sovereignty of the s t a t e s , with h i s perfect d ic t ion and ana ly t ica l mind; Webster, calm, profound, argumentative, powerful i n s t a tu re and gigant ic i n mind; Clayton Preston and many others with S i l a s Wright occupying equal and many times superior s t e tu re i n a Senate composed of the best t a l e n t of t he land.

Probably no man i n the p o l i t i c a l h i s tory of Northern New York u n t i l t h e time of Eert Snel l exerted a s much influence es S i l a s Wright. This farmer-lawyer, po l i t i c i an and statesman, who made Canton h i s home, was the confidant of Andrew Jackson and Martin VanBuren. In f a c t he became t h e spokesman f o r both Jackson and VanBuren on nearly a l l f i nanc ia l issues. Wright remained i n t h e Senate u n t i l 184.4, being reelected i n 1837 and 1843. Had he l ived long enough, he probably would have been a serious contender f o r the Democratic president ia l nomination i n 1848.

Referred t o a s the "Cato of the Senate," he was the same upon the f l oo r of t h e Senate when he was looked upon a s t h e representative of the President t h a t he had been while administering jus t ice and reconcil ing differences between h i s fel low c i t i zens i n the quiet Canton of t h a t day. He refused appointment a s secretary of t h e Treasury and turned down a Democratic Vice-Presidential nomination i n 184.4, S i l a s Wright was the po l i t i c i an of t he p la in people. Between sessions of t he United S ta tes Senate, he returned t o h i s home t o plow, a s did those who lived with him and near him. He was the Andrew Jackson of t h e East. There i s no doubt S i l a s Wright committed p o l i t i c a l suicide when he accepted the gubernatorial nomination f o r New York State. By 184.4, the Democratic par ty was beset with t h e i n t e rna l dissentions of divergent factions. VanBuren was sl ipping i n popularity. Wright, perhaps o~ of personal loyalty t o the L i t t l e Magician from Kinderhook, declined a Vice-Presiden- t i a l nomination and a r i d e behind the black horse Polk. Because the l4higs stood a good chance of carrying New York S ta te i n the 1844 elect ion %!right out of par ty loya l ty consented t o res ign h i s Senate s ea t and run f o r Governor. Without a doubt Wright was probably the only Democrat who could have carr ied the S t a t e f o r Polk. Polk had been nominated because he was acceptable t o t he southern slave holders and he needed p o l i t i c a l backing i n t h e North. I n New York S ta te the party now turned t o S i l a s Wright whom they persuaded t o give up h i s s ea t i n t he U. S. Senate t o run f o r Governor i n order t o swing the s t a t e t o Polk.

After two years a s Governor, he f a i l e d i n h i s bid f o r ree lec t ion i n 1846 and the r e s u l t s shocked the s t a t e and nation a s t he Whigs emerged victorious. Wright had carr ied St. Lawrence and Jefferson Counties but l o s t t he r e s t of t he North country counties by t h e def lect ion of t h e conservatives or "Hunkern Democrats. This party within the Democratic par ty continued after the e lec t ion but it was only a short time l a t e r i n August 1847 t h a t Wright died *om a hear t at tack a t h i s home i n Canton. Y a s t of Governor Wright's followers l a t e r joined forces wi th t he new Republican party formed i n 1854. When he died, John Greenleaf Whittier, the poet champion of ant is lavery and aboli t ion, wrote a poem cal led, Vhe Lost States- man," i n which t h i s l i n e occurs, "Man of t h e mill ions thou art l o s t too soon."

H i s chjef claim t o fame and t o gra te fu l remembrance by h i s fellowmen was h i s complete devotion t o t he public service, I n t he very l a s t speech he wrote but did not del iver because death overtook him, he made c lear t h a t he was opposed t o every form of exploi ta t ion of t h e American people, whether it be f inanc ia l , commercial or po l i t i ca l . He stood for equali ty of treatment i n a l l walks of l i f e and i n a l l aspects of the American economy. This was h i s great service t o t h e cause of demo- cracy i n America. S i l a s Wright refused many of the highest places i n Government. He declined a seat on t h e Supreme Court. He declined t h e nomination f o r Vice President under Polk. He declined the appointmerrt a s Secretary of t he Treasury which he himself had conceived i n h i s b i l l t o make the Treasury a separate Govern- ment agency and he declined a foreign mission among others.

S i l a s Wright had a high sense of morals and moral value. He would not accept t he Vice-Presidential nomination, it is reported, because of ce r t a in views t h a t he possessed. Thomas H a r t Benton said t h a t S i l a s Wright spent more time i n declining of f ices than most men would i n seeking t o secure them. It was said by Renton, t h a t those he d id accept were t h rus t upon him. According t o Benton, S i l a s Wright was born great and above o f f i ce and only took it t o s a t i s f y an urgent public demand. The record of S i l a s Wright's l i fe o f f e r s ample proof t h a t pomp and glory of t he place had l i t t l e charm f o r h i s humble nature; t h a t power and prest ige appealed t o him only a s a means of doing good. And so, l i k e Diogenes of old, searching f o r an honest man, we f ind not only an honest man, but a much r a r e r human - a statesman who did not want t o be President of t he United States.

The Secretary Says. . . by Malcolm A. Rooth, Secretary

A t rave l l ing exhibit of items r e l a t i ng t o ear ly education i n St. Lawrence County is now touring the county under t he auspices of t he St. Lawrence County His tor ica l Association. The exhibit , modelled a f t e r last yea r t s medical exhibi t , commemorates the 100th anniversary of t he St. hwrence County Teachers1 Associa- t ion , founded i n October, 1858, and a l so the 150th anniversaries of the first schools i n t he towns of Gowerneur, Lisbon, and b u i s v i l l e , and the v i l l age of Hewelton, a l l s ta r ted i n 1808.

The ten ta t ive schedule f o r t h e exhibi t i s Gowerneur, May 3 1 t o June l4; h u i s v i l l e , June U-30; Haunnond, July 1-15; Potsdam, July 10-31; Lisbon, Aug, 1-15; Winthrop, Aug. 16-31; Hemelton, Sept. 1-15; Wanakena, Sept. 16-30; and Canton, Oct. 1-15.

The chairman of t h e committee which organized the exhibi t i s Eralcolm A. Booth of Hammond, secretary of t he Association, and the vice-chairman is Mrs. Nina W. -5mithers--of -DePeyster;-Caarrty Historian. Harold A. Stor ie handled arrangements f o r t h e exhibit i n Gowerneur, while Mrs. b r r a i n e Bandy handled i t s arrangements i n Louisville. The exhibi t was first s e t up May 31 i n the f ront window of t he Holl is and Monterville s to re on East Main S t r e e t ' i n Gouverneur by Mr,.Pooth, Ju l iu s R. Ba r t l e t t , and Eugene Hatch.

Probably the la rges t and most noticeable item i n the exhibit i s the pendulum constructed by D r , Henry Pr ies t of St. Lawrence University, Canton, f o r demonstra- t i o n s i n h i s science classes, which was loaned by the University. Other a r t i c l e s i n t h e exhibit include two 16-page pamphlets on the "History of Animals," one dated 1828 and the other 1832, a blank reward of merit, valued a t 300 cents o r th ree dol lars , a photostat of a writ ing book used i n 1819 and 1820 by Stephen Newton of Champion, two good-conduct notes won by Miss Harriet M. Barret t i n 1829, a four- page newspaper announcing the senior c l a s s concert a t St. Lawrence University on June 30, 1880, and school c lerk 's record books for t h e towns of Hammond and Macomb.

DAN SAN!t!IMAW'S FAMOUS LEAP

Dan Santimawts famous leap across t he St. Regis chasm at Par i shvi l le remains as one of t h e great f e a t s of a l l time i n t h a t locali ty. This oouurred on October 31, 1868. Twenty-year-old Dan was being pursued by Constable Solon Tucker, follow- ing a Hallo1een prank. Unbeknownst t o Dan t h e old foot bridge had been destroyed. Old Sol knew t h i s and f e l t sure he had h i s man.

Dressed, so t h e s to ry goes, i n heavy woolens, including a winter overcoat and heavy boots, Dan arr ived at the chasm. Never pausing he took t o t he air i n a mighty jump, and landed on t h e opposite s ide of t he gorge. It was reputedly a 26 foo t leap, which is saying qu i t e a lo t . Anyway, when Constable Sol hove i n s ight , yel l - ing "Now I got ya young f e l l e r , " he saw young Santimav i n mid-air.

Dan barely made t h e other side, jus t managing t o get h i s foothold on a small ledge and grab a bush, Sol Tucker watched him climb up t h e rocks t o t he top; took a long look a t t he distance; and then hollered: T h a t ' s t oo much fer me, Dan. Com' on up t o t h e hotel. The t r e a t s are on me,"

So far as the wr i te r knows no other person has ever attempted t o duplicate Dan Santimaw's Hallo'een leap of '68. (Fditor 's Note : The Olympic Broad Jump Record i s 26ft. 5 3 / ~ i n . held by Jesse Owens, U.S.A. The National Collegiate record, held by Greg Bell , Indiana, is 26ft. ?in. So Dan Santimawts jump was obviously a mighty one, especially garbed a s he was.)

The His tor ica l Association's excursion t o The Adirondack Museum at Blue Mountain Lake w i l l be on Thursday, July 10. Members w i l l t r a v e l by pr iva te auto. Arrange- ments have been made with th ree ho te l s i n Blue Mountain Lake t o serve luncheon: Potters ' , The Hedges and Hemlock Hall. Members of t he Association w i l l receive a spec ia l welcome a t any of these hotels. Picnic f a c i l i t i e s a t t h e s t a t e park a t Lake Durant a r e a l so available. The Museum w i l l be open t o t h e Association during the afternoon, and t h e Director, Dr . Robert B o Inverar i ty w i l l address the group a t 2:00 p.m.

The second event of t h e 1958 season w i l l be a picnic meeting a t Par i shvi l le on August l4, Miss Doris Rowland, town h is tor ian of Par ishvi l le , i s i n charge of arrangements; deser t and coffee w i l l be provided by l o c a l c iv i c organizations, Dr. Charles hhey , author of a recent study on t h e Parish family i n Northern New York, w i l l describe t h e beginnings of industry and commerce i n t h i s community, There w i l l be a tour of h i s t o r i c homes and sites. Members of t h e Association are invited t o bring guests t o both of these meetings.

This will be the only d i r ec t no t i f ica t ion t o Association Members, so please make carefu l note of t he date, t he place. Further announcements w i l l appear i n t he da i ly press.

THE FORBIDDEN SPORT By Doris Planty, Momistown Historian

Three miles west of Morristow., i n t h e American waters of t he St. Lawrence, i s Old Manfs Island, an i s land with a past, How or when it got i t s name is nei ther important nor known. It is one of t he first of t h e Thousand Islands up-river from Ogdensburg, Iarge f r e igh te r s ply t he main channel which passes between t h i s is land and Brockville, on t h e Canadian side. Its shoals have been noted f o r t h e i r good bass f i sh ing f o r generations. Old Man's Island lays claim t o a place i n t he folk- l o re and h is tory of t h e North Count*,

I n May 1886 an imposing ho te l with many gables, towers and a broad veranda around it was b u i l t on the island, Messrs, Ryan and Turner being t h e owners, pro- pr ie tors , and what was equally s ign i f ican t holders of the l iquor f'ranchise granted the place, From far up and down t h e r i v e r Old Man's Island wi th i ts grandiose ho te l was plainly vis ible . For years a man by t h e name of Brockway, said t o have made Brockwayfs famous salve, vas caretaker. The ho te l became popular on both s ides of t he r i v e r by t o u r i s t s and others as well, i ts large dock providing ample mooring and anchorage f o r motor boats, steam boats and sa i l i ng c ra f t ,

The big day of t h e whole season came on May 24th, t he Queen's Birthday, ob- served by a l l Canadians, Americans joined with t h e i r Dominion fr iends i n t h e cele- bration, f o r which the h o t e l acquired no l i t t l e notoriety. A s t h e big day approached, t h e pr inc ipa l celebrants on both s ides began laying t h e i r plans, qu ie t ly passing out challenges and preening t h e i r birds, Long before dawn on t h e 24th the rumb26 of horses and buggies could be heard. The Americans made the f i n e old Bardsley place

t h e i r w i n c i p a l point of embarkation, Tying t h e i r horse i n t he barns and a l l about t he yard, they would unload t h e i r c r a t e s of f igh t ing cocks, load themselves and t h e i r b i rds i n to boats and cross t o Old Man's Island where t h e Canadian crowd was arriving. From dawn u n t i l long after dark the re was plenty of high-jinx i n progrees. The cock p i t s did a f lour ishing business a l l day. Much m e y changed hands. Liquor flowed plent i ful ly . F e s t i v i t i e s would continue u n t i l t he ear ly hours of t h e next dawn before cocks, c r a t e s and the crowd were boated back t o t h e mainland and quie t was restored, Bardleys and a l so Addie Fl inn i n her l i t t l e s to re on t h e American shore were waiting with breakfasts and did qu i t e a business.

Then, along about 1912, a dense three-days fog completely blanketted t h e r iver . When it l i f t e d those on t h e mainland rubbed t h e i r eyes i n wonderment. The Ryan- Turner h o t e l was no more. It had burned t o t he ground, mysteriously some believed, It was never rebui l t , and Old Man's Island l o s t much of t he reputat ion and f lavor it once held f o r those free-wheeling May 24th celebrations, A camper now occasion- a l l y pi tches h i s t e n t on the island, picnickers land there. Beneath t h e brush and small t r e e s can still be found remnants of t h e ho te l foundation. The Bardsley place, b u i l t about 1800, i s now owned by the Reginald Coppernalds who have t h e i r group of t o u r i s t and camper cottages nearby. Only a few r e c a l l those "good old daysw and same who do do not say much about it,

OLD COOPER SHOP Anna Matthews Cole, Lawrence Town Historian

I n t h e v i l l age of Nicholvillg, a t t he former Edwin Sanford place, Main S t ree t , now owned by Mrs. Gordon Cole, there i s a small building used a s a garage, which, from it's outward appearance cer ta in ly would not a t t r a c t anyone's at tention. However, on entering t h e door, one iss t ruck by the unusual s t ruc ture of i t s walls which a r e finished i n four-inch pine s t r i p s of various lengths and one-inch i n thickness, These one-inch th ick pine s t r i p s a r e l a i d one upon another, l i n ing the walls, i n a so l id wall construction t o t he gables of t he building and a re nailed together with old s t y l e cut nails . The amount of time and energy consumed i n con- s t ruc t ing the i n t e r i o r of t h i s one room building with one inch pine strips is m- imaginable i n t h i s age.

This building was formerly an old cooper shop b u i l t by Hiram Wood and h i s son, Ethan Allen Wood, probably around 1874. It seems t h a t i n t h e ear ly 1870's Harvey Day, who was a pioneer mill-man at Day's Mills, three miles eouth of Nicholville, had an order from a customer f o r c l ea r pine inch boards. When t h i s lumber was sawed the re was left, a s lumbermen would term it a residue of sap boards which t h e customer did not want. Consequently, M r , Day cut t h i s inch sap pine i n t o four-inch boards, a large quant i ty of which was bought by Mr. Wood and h i s son a t a p r ice of one cent each f o r the p-se of f in i sh ing the walls of t h e oooper shop they were building.

I n t h i s shop, c & k sap buckets and sap holders, sugar buckets, wooden c i s te rns , sash and doors were b u i l t and general wood working r epa i r s were made. The shop was b u i l t j u s t west of t he house t o which Hiram Wood and h i s wife, Sarah, moved from Water S t r ee t i n A p r i l 1874. Iater t h i s house belonged t o Mrs. F.X. M a y (hui Trusse l l Murray) and l a t e r s t i l l t o her s i s t e r , Mrs. Rove V. Newell. After Hiram Wood's death i n 1882, h i s son, Ethan Allen Wood, a carpenter by trade, used t h e shop as a carpenter shop during his l ifetime. It conveniently stood jus t across the road from h i s farm home now owned by Kenneth Cole,

After Ethan Allen Wood's death, h i s farm, including t h e shop was purchased by Norman and V e h a Sanford McKimm i n 1918, When t h e McKimmts came t o s e l l t h i s place and move t o Mrs. McRimmts former home, t he Edwin and Adelphia P r a t t Sanford home- stead fur ther down t h e s t r e e t , &, &Kim moved the old shop down t o t he Sanford place f o r a garage. This old building provokes much i n t e r e s t on account of t h e minute and painstaking construction of i t s in te r ior . The old Sanford place on which the cooper shop now stands i s the f o r m e r home of t he l a t e D r , Frank Sanford of Morley and Canton, There were teachers, lawyers, a doctor, a druggest and a nurse i n t h i s femily.

EXTRACTS FROM DIARY OF CHARLOTTE SETON O(;DEN (Mrs. Gowerneur Ogden, of ~ l l e r s l i e ) , Waddington, Y.Y.

1818 - JULY 2, The p a r t y from New York took leave t h i s day a t noon. They go i n wagons t o Ogdensburg and thence pe r steamer v i a S a c k e t t t s Harbor t o t h e City... JULY 7, The Church b e l l arr ived. It was hung across a r a i l and was rung by t h e sexton, It had a s i l v e r sound, The people i n procession escor ted it t o t h e be l f rey i n t h e ra in . It was lodged i n t h e vestry room.,.JULY 20, Mr. Antrobus, B r i t i s h Secre tary of Legation, Messrs. R. Bayard and Ray and two Le Roys were a t t h e I s l and f o r about a week.. .AUG. 22 ( ~ a t u r d a ~ ) St . Paul 's church was consecrated by Bishop Hobart; present of t h e c lergy Messrs. Raldwin and Weagant and of t h e l a i t y about 5OO...AUG 23, A confirmation he ld and 7 persons confirmed, viz., Judge Atwater, Mrs. R. Atwater, Miss Catherine Atwater, Miss S. Ogden, Mrs. J. Shor t , M r . Squires and Gfm. H. Vining...VOV. 20, The v e s t r y held t h e i r meeting a t our house and drank a b o t t l e of g i n and a b o t t l e of wine.

1819 - Col. Gowerneur Ogden went t o Potsdam t o review h i s regiment..,NOV. 9, The darkes t day known f o r years. W e burned candles from 10 o'clock i n t h e morning till bed time. Could not see t o read o r sew.

1820 - J A N . 6 (The d a t e on'which they moved i n t o E l l e m l i e ) I f l y on t h e wings of joy t o E l l e r s l i e . (Apparently they had previously stayed a t t h e Elms.)

1821 - MAY 2, W. H. Vining gained h i s e l e c t i o n by a majori ty of 25 over Mr. Winslow i n consequence of which great i l luminat ions took place. The Is land very b r i l l i a n t . Buckta i l might have been smoked out of t h e v i l l a g e by t h e burning of ta r b a r r e l s and bonf i res , f i r i n g of cannon &c. E l l e r s l i e did i t s best . After i l luminat ing ou t s ide and i n , opened a l l i t s doors t o rece ive t h e v i l l a g e r s who came t o pay t h e i r r e s p e c t s tk t h e elected. Fi red 6 cannon under t h e d ining room window, t h e f i r s t one of which knocked two candle-sticks on t o p of my head. I was q u i e t l y standing by t h e pantry window cracking sugar f o r t h e i r hot punch ( loa f sugar evident ly) from which place I went i n t o t h e drawing room where I seated myself a t t h e piano and remained t h e r e u n t i l 10 o'clock f o r t h e i r amusement, h a l f an hour a f t e r which they a l l tumbled downstaires and made t h e bes t of t h e i r way t o t h e Island. Here i n g iv ing them a handsome s a l u t e a canon (being s o f u l l of joy) b u r s t a?d discharged i t s contents cons i s t ing of some s tones and pebbles through one of t h e Is land windows and broke severa l panes of g l a s s but no lives were l o s t , t h e canonade being only blown on one side.. .JULY 5, Sent 27 horses t o Montreal f o r t h e West India market...JULY 24, The Attorney General of Canada paid a v i s i t a t t h e Island...SEPT. 26, Col. Ogden went t o Postdam t o review h i s regiment... NOV. 7, G. Ogden walked t o Grasse Riber t o s t a y 5 days, roads t o o bad t o ride,.. DEC. 11, Tea f i g h t at E l l e r s l i e (v i l lagers) .

1822 - JAN. 12, Washington Ford a r r ived a t E l l e r s l i e , danced till 12 o'clock and departed f o r Ogdensburg at ha l f pas t one on Sunday morning, a f i n e frolic...JAN . 26, My dear Harriet l e f t E l l e r s l i e f o r JTew York i n company with W s s S. Ogden, J.E. Ogden. Judge Ogden jo ins them a t Ogdensburg. Our s l e i g h gone out with them as far as Utica..,MARCH 6, G. Ogden stayed a t home f o r a wonder. his is Gowerneur , her husband, t o whom she always refers as G. ogden), . .MARCY 17, C. Ogden returned from Potsdam on foot. H i s horse r a n away...MARCH 17, G. Ogden re turned from Potsdam on foot . H i s horse r a n away...MARCH 29, G, Ogden walked home from Ogdensburg, roads being very bad. Tkft h i s horse there...APRIL 12, Father (who can t h i s be?) shot me a blackbird, William a par t r idge and Mary made me a cus tard and puff f o r my dinner. .The Doctor (Dr. Campfield) has gone after pigeons, ducks and wild geese. A wild goose chase. (N.R. This was i n Apri l ; no game laws a s yet)...APRIL 15, A l l t h e i c e c leared out of t h e l i t t l e river; tre- mendous high wind, s t rong f e a r s en te r t a ined t h a t p a r t of t h e new dam may be c a r r i e d away. Vi l l agers a l l set t o work t o throw s tone in. Roads s o bad mail d id not g e t in...APP,IL 10, Sold t h e Murray farm t o Mr. Waddell; heigh ho...F'AY 7, lh'illiam and Doctor C. shot 9 pigeons i n t h e meadow...MAY 10, Sent 1 7 head of cattle t o Montreal on a raft...JULY 20, C. %den a r r ived from New York a f t e r an absence of 3 weeks, brought with him Emma Seton and Master Waddington Ogden. Delighted t o see

them...AUC. 1, A l l t h e Islanders t o spend t h e day a t E l le rs l ie . Moved t h e barn through the wheatfield by 2l; yoke of oxen i n t o t h e meadow...Sm. 3, Gouverneur Ogden l e f t New York on Saturday afternoon at 5 o'clock and arrived at E l l e r s l i e on Tuesday night a t 12 o'clock. This i s t h e shortes t space of time ever taken t o perform t h e same journey. (N.B. A s t h i s was a journey of nearly 400 miles it could not have been made on horseback with one horse i n 4 days and .7 hours. Presumably he went from New York t o Albany by t h e S.S. Clermont and rode from the re home).

1823 - JAN 15, G. Ogden left t h i s f o r Albany i n h i s own s le igh i n company with h i s second daughter Mary Seton Ogden.. .JAN 26, G. Ogden returned from Albany with h i s two daughters Harriet and Mary.

18% - MAY 6, Two men from t h e I r i s h Settlement t o work. h his es tabl ishes t h a t t h e I r i s h had come i n suf f ic ien t numbers t o have an I r i s h Settlement by 1824.) MAY 30, No church. On Friday Rw. Mr. Balker, a Catholic p r i e s t , preached i n St. Pauls. In t he evening he married Mr. Lawrence Charlton t o Miss M. Hogg... JUIX 11, Sunday. Heard Mr . Searle preach. In t h e evening a l l t h e s ingers met a t El lers l ie . Sat down 20 a t the singing tab le , 9 remaining seated around t h e room. (Presumably t h e church choir, meeting a t E l l e r s l i e because there was a piano there. The Island a l s o had a piano.) ..,SEFT. 6 , Genessee f lour arrived. (was there no f lou r m i l l i n Waddington ye t ? Apparently not, f o r see en t ry of June 23, 1825, t o t he e f f ec t t h a t wheat was being shipped t o Montreal). . .SEPT. 27, @ dear brother and s i s t e r departed from E l l e r s l i e t h i s day f o r New York v i a Montreal. Serena Seton and Mary Hoffman together with Harriet and Mary Ogden accompanied them over t h e fe r ry , escorted by W i l l i a m Ogden and stayed a l l night i n Canada a t t h e stage house. They returned t h i s morning i n health and safety, t h e r e s t of t he par ty having gone on. (N.B. Where was t h i s f e r ry? There was an old br ick house on t h e back of t he Island cal led the Ferry ~ o u s e ) . . .OCT. 10, Carney and Brewer arr ived from New York t o take farms. . .OCT. 22, A ba r r e l of wine and one of brandy arrived from Ogdansburg, bought a t Utica. (N.R. What i s the date of Fred Martin's p la te showing two d i s t i l l e r i e s i n t he v i l l a ~ e ? ) CCT. 30, Miss Seton's birthday. Islanders a l l spent t he evening here. Kept it up till 12 o'clock. Had a grand husking bee...N@V. 9, Rained a l l day. Put up t h e clothes l%ne i n t h e garret. Pickled onions, turned a pa i r of sheets, f inished a waistcoat, made a batch of bread, and went qu ie t ly t o bed...?JOV. 16, Went t o t h e v i l l age t o pay my respects t o Mrs. Richards, her s i s t e r and mother, who arrived on Sunday from Connecticut...DEC. 2.4, A t night t he church was superbly illuminated, 42 candles i n each Kindow...DE, 25, Chr i s tmas Day. A l l went t o church but Mary Seton who had a bad cold. Sat up i n t h e gal lery with t he f l u t e r s . Sang nDevisesn, "Ashleyn and nDenmarklt. h here being no mention of Christmas g i f t s it would seem the custom d id not exist . ) . . .Dm . 31, A par ty of 30 assembled here t h i s night t o dance t h e old year out and the new year in. Surprised them by a handsome transparency of Hapw blew Year i n frorrt of t h e window, designed and executed by Dr . Campfield. Supper a t 12 and dispersed a t 1. Retured t o bed at 2 o'clock. The evening passed off delightfully.

1825 - JAN 19, Mary Le Conte came as a waitress. The g i r l s began dancing lessons. JAN. 20, A dancing par ty a t Judge Richards, a l l attended but Miss Seton who was sick., .FEB, 4, Martha Finlay came as cook at $5 a month.. .MARCH 17, t~indows a l l open. Vexy warm. Island house opened once more and the family assembled to- gether. ( ~ o t e : The David Ogden family were at first accustomed t o occ Island only i n surmner, going t o New York o r New Orleans f o r the winter. u? ... the MARCH 19, Mr. Dewey's chi ld died t h i s morning. (What Mr. Dewey can t h i s be? Did Seth J. Dewey's fa ther l i v e i n waddington?)...APRIL 10, F i r s t boat ascended t h e r iver . (she means f o r t h a t season.)...APRIL 25, Five Irishmen with lawrence Charlton came t o work today i n t he garden. Thomas and Jack (~ohn)~ tn+v i s also... JUNE 23, An empty boat came through the locks and landed at t h e mills t o take wheat t o Montreal market. Wrote t he g i r l s by the above boat going t o Montreal t h i s night. ..JULY 3, Sunday, Mr. Beardsley preached i n St. Pauls. We a l l went

t o hear him. During t h e intermission t h e Is landers and myself went t o t h e Bower which had been erected f o r them t o dine under on the 4th and the re partook of cold apple p i e which we got from Phill ips. ( ~ o t e : Evidently t h e custom was when the re was a clergyman available, t o have morning and evening prayer with an intermission for lunch, and probably two sermons. Xuch of t he time there was no clergyman and the re a r e many e n t r i e s t o t h e e f f ec t t h a t G. 9gden read prayers i n church) Note: Mrs. Gouverneur Ogden was a Seton of t h e same Scotch family t h a t bore t h e Mary Seton who was one of Mary Stuar t 's "Four Tk ie s" ,

"Last night t he Queen had four Maries, Tonight there a r e but three. There was Marjr Beaton and Mary Seton And Mary Carmicl~ael and me.*

Gowerneur Ogden himself had proved ine f f i c i en t i n business and somewhat d i s - s ipated and h i s brothers relegated him t o Waddington t o keep him out of mischief. A s t he diary shows, t he re was much coming and going and many v i s i t o r s , but a great dea l of t he time Mrs. Ogden had no society except exchanging visits with t h e Islanders. She was lonely and from t h e time she vent t o Waddington t o t h e burning of E l l e r s l i e she never l e f t t he place, a f a c t whicl~ (according t o Mrs. Gertrude C. Smith) g rea t ly embittered one of her sons. David A. Sgden returned from t h e cotton business i n New Pork and New Orleans coming t o the Island t o l i ve , but continued t o be a member of h i s firm. The firm f a i l e d and h i s respon- s i b i l i t y f o r its debts ruined him. He died, and h i s brothers l iquidated h i s debts by purchasing h i s r e a l e s t a t e holdings and created a fund f o r h i s widow. I n t h i s way h i s much younger brother Isaac bought t he Island. The widow of David was given t h e cottage t o l i v e in. She was a termagant and continually berated her brothers-in-law f o r removing her *om t h e Island. Becoming lame she walked with a staff with which she would s t r i k e a t anyone who came within range. (Recollected by Mrs. Gertrude C. Smith. Grandma Dodds has often t o l d me of old Lady Ogden's rages). When Ludlow Ogden went south t o join t h e Confed- e r a t e Army, he was engaged t o be married t o Louise Dewey. (Nrs. smith).

OLD SCHOOL RECORDS

Records copied from t h e Di s t r i c t Clerks' book dating back t o 1841 of D i s t . No. 4 of t h e Town of Norfolk and known f o r years a s the Stone School Rouse Di s t r i c t , located th ree miles East of Norfolk on the Norfolk-Plum Brook road portray inter- es t ing information of d i s t r i c t school conditions of the time. The first school house, probably b u i l t about 1830, was of stone, and was replaced i n 1867 by a br ick building. After the d i s t r i c t became a pa r t of t h e Norwood-Norfolk Central School system, t h i s school was closed i n 1950. Later it was sold and is now the home of Ralph Daggett and family.

"Oct. 10, 1841: - A t t he annual meeting of f r e e holders and inhabitants of School D i s t . No. 4 of t h e town of Norfolk held pursuant t o adjournment a t t h e school house on Oct. 12 1840, t h e meeting being lega l ly opened, Giles 'ding was chosen Moderator, James Rodgers Dist. Clerk, Adonirum Lockwood, Parry Rixby and Thomas Kingsbury t ru s t ee s and H i r a m Rich co l lec tor for t h e ensuing year.

"Resolved unanimously t h a t a t a x of one do l l a r be ra i sed t o pay f o r lease of land f o r t he school house.

"Resolved t h a t we have three months of school t he ensuing winter taught by a man.

"Resolved t h a t we get one-half cord of wood f o r each scholar, and t h a t every man t h a t sends children t o school get h i s own wood.

"Meeting adjourned t o second Monday next October at 6 P.Men "Oct. 12, 1842: - Resolved by majority vote t h a t two-thirds of t h e Public

Money be applied fo r winter school and one-third f o r summer school. "Resolved by majority vote t h a t we have one-fourth cord of wood per scholar,

t h a t the wood be cut, drawn, corded and measured on orbefore t h e first of January,

if not, t h e remainder i s t o be gotten by Samuel Clark f o r 20 cts. per cord i n t h e month of January, and delinquents pay f o r same. The wood t o be 2ft . long, hard wood.

"Resolved unanimously t h a t P. C. Bixby be exonerated from a l l o f f ices i n t h e D i s t r i c t f o r th ree years, provided he procures a good and suf f ic ien t case f o r t h e books i n the l i b ra ry f r e e t o t he D i s t r i c t within th ree months from t h e date hereof."

nOct. 6, 1844: - Trustees reported school t o have been i n session f o r 7 months. Amount of money received from Common Monies of Common Schools during the year is 844.38, t h e sum applled on teachers wages; t h e amoung paid f o r teachers wages over and above t h e Public Money was $6.31. Money received by t ru s t ee s f o r Hbrary $5.46, from s a l e of book 12 l/;lcts. Library money received from Comm. of Common Schools $8.26 and t h a t mount has been applied t o the purchase of books.

"Number of volumes belonging t o t h e D i s t r i c t 64. "Number of children taught were 54 i n winter and 45 i n t h e summer terms." "Trustees report fo r 1859. Had 3 months and 6 days of school f o r which we

paid $65 l a s t winter, and 4 months of summer school costing $24. Voted t o have 15 cords of good hard wood, 2 1/2 f t . long t o be l e t t o t he lowest bidder. Ira Gr i f f in i s t o get t h e wood f o r 50 cts. a cord. Total expenses $98.05. Receipts School money $81.78, Library money $2.85, from previous t ru s t ee $3.35, from Collector $6.00, b i l l t o be collected $4.12, t o t a l $98.10. Balance 5 c ts . "

I n t he days before t he re was a road between The Narrows (now ~dwardsv i l l e ) and Pope M i l l s , two men were enjoying l iqu id refreshment i n a Tavern. They made a bet with each other: - t h a t Mr. A. could dr ive o r r i d e h i s horse around the lower end of Black Lake and up the Macomb s ide reaching Pope Mills before Mr. 73. c o U row a boat across t he Lake and walk t o Pope Mills. After many cups of cheer, t h e .contestants s t a r t ed out and t o t h i s day anyone t rave l ing t h i s road, Highway 58,knows without doubt t h a t he i s following the o r ig ina l path l a id out by Mr. B. at t h a t time, and we never did f ind out who won t h e bet.

The excerpts from t h e diary of Charlotte Seton Ogden were provided by Mrs. E t h e l C. Olds, Waddington Town Historian. Acknowledgement i s made t o Malcolm Booth f o r t h e account of t he S i l a s Wright Day a t Canton, Hss Doris Rowland, Town Historian, Pssishvi l le , furnished t h e fo lk lore item about Dan Santimawfs famous leap.

St. Lawrence Co~nty Historical Association P. 0. Box 211

CANTON. N. Y.